7-Nights British Columbia’s Big Country - Tailormade Journeys — CALL

Itinerary Details

1 Arrive Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver is more than just a beautiful gateway to British Columbia’s wilder attractions. Tucked away among its futuristic skyscrapers and lively downtown are eminently explorable neighborhoods, easily explored on foot and home to historic sites as well as trendy boutiques and cocktail bars. The city is also rich in green spaces, with the iconic Stanley Park attracting locals and visitors alike to its cedar forests and prevalent wildlife.

Explore all facets of this jewel of the Pacific Northwest with walking tours of historic Gastown, with its impressive steam clock, and foodie haven Granville Island before a thrilling walk across the 164-foot-high Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge.

Travel to nearby Horseshoe Bay with your guide and board a ferry to Bowen Island. Sitting at the head of Howe Sound, Bowen Island charms visitors with a combination of natural, cultural, and culinary highlights. Explore an uninhabited lake and take an interpretive eco-walk up a salmon creek. Roam Bowen Island’s quaint artistic village of Snug Cove, including its Artisan Lane. Finish your visit with a wonderful west-coast lunch at a local restaurant before returning to Vancouver via seaplane, taking in the scenic vistas.

With snow-stacked gabled roofs set against a background of white-capped mountains, Whistler’s twinkly winter wonderland aesthetic verges on caricature. The warmth and bonhomie spilling from the restaurants and cafes in this pedestrianized village, however, is fully authentic. Its winter sports credentials are also bona fide, having served as a venue for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Today, the slopes of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains offer some of the best skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing conditions in the world. Come summer, mountain biking, hiking and stand-up paddleboarding attract the Patagonia-clad outdoor set.

Head into Whistler’s backcountry with an expert private guide. Weave through nature trails and private roads in a private luxury 4x4, keeping an eye out for black bears, hawks and marmots amongst the wilderness. Back in Whistler, enjoy a three-course lunch before visiting the Audain Art Museum, and join the museum’s curator for a private guided tour.

The floatplane is a transport staple of coastal Canada. Board one to Whistler Valley, flying over the Strait of Georgia, and over the Gulf Islands to Vancouver Island, landing and in Victoria’s Inner harbor. Explore the historic downtown before visiting Butchart Gardens, which date back over 100 years. Stroll the various themed gardens of its 50-acre campus, absorbing a splendorous multitude of flowers and birds.

The Salish Sea resides just off Victoria’s coast and teems with marine life and is one of the best places in the world for watching orcas. Step aboard a sleek open-air whale-watching vessel for a shared morning wildlife cruise of these waters, keeping watch for the humpback, minke and gray whales that also thrive here. Porpoises, seals, sea lions, sea otters and a myriad of sea birds complete the tableau. Later, discover some of Victoria’s highlights, including hidden gems like the Abkhazi Gardens and Government House.